Skepticism
by endingstars
Summary: Kahoko Hino has been accepted in a prestigious Music Summer Camp, and expects fun from it. But she only finds that she has to spend the whole time with Len Tsukimori, to work on a duet. KahokoXLen
1. Chapter 1

Things that are expected to be perfect seem to never work out.

One example, that is, is Kahoko Hino's expectations that summer. Ousaki-senpai has invited her to join her in this prestigious music summer camp far away form Seisou Academy. He said that it would be a great opportunity to widen their musical knowledge—especially with their own instruments—and at least they would have something to do that summer. And, Fuyuumi-chan was coming, too. Hino thought it was a good idea, too, and she also thought of taking advantage of the opportunity to get to know Fuyuumi better.

But, in order for Hino to pay for the tuition (of course, Fuyuumi had no problem with that, as she has quite a ton of money), she has to attain an average of a scholar, which would probably mean she has to work her ass off. Plus, she had to take an entrance test (one which she was predictably late at). Still, she passed it, simply because of the fact that she was a competitor at the Seisou Academy Concours.

So, everything else was solved. All Hino needed to do was pack her stuff, hop on the train, unpack her stuff, and attend the Summer Camp briefing. It was all going perfect, up until—

"Hino?"

She turned around. The conference room was buzzing with noisy students as they made their way out of it, and Hino rubbed her eyes.

"EH? Tsukimori-kun! What are you doing here?" Hino said, staring at the blue-haired boy infront of her.

"Well, I should be asking that."

"But—but—" Hino stammered.

"Ah, Tsukimori-kun! Nice to see you actually attended this time, huh?" Ousaki has somehow emerged from the crowd of students and decided to join Hino and Tsukimori in their little conversation.

"Yeah, well, my parents are gone all summer. I don't want to be stuck there the whole time," Tsukimori said.

"Oh. Well good for you. And it's also good that you two have seen each other already—" Ousaki gestured at Hino and Tsukimori—"since I'm assigning you two on a duet," he finished.

"Eh?" The two chorused.

"But—you don't have the authority to do that!" Tsukimori said.

"Oh, yes I do. I've been assigned to organize the recitals at the end of the summer camp, and it's my responsibility to think of who will perform. Well, I've thought of you two." Ousaki said, smiling.

Tsukimori's face looked defeated, while Hino's was facing the floor.

"That settles it. I'll take care of the practicing rooms you'll use; just tell me whenever you need one. Have a nice day!" And with that, Ousaki waved, smiled brightly, and left the two.

"Well, I guess that means we have to start looking for a piece, Tsukimori-kun." Hino offered, looking quite scared.

"Yeah… Maybe let's just think about it tomorrow," said Tsukimori, immediately leaving the room after.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Hino."

Kahoko was enjoying her lunch with Fuyuumi at the splendid cafeteria when Tsukimori appeared.

"Tsukimori-kun!" Hino said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Hello, Tsukimori-kun," Fuyuumi said.

Tsukimori replied with a small nod, then turned back to Hino.

"We have to choose a piece for the recitals, then start practicing."

"Oh. Well, I'll just finish my food—"

"You can eat in the practice room. I've already arranged with Ousaki-senpai. Hurry, let's not waste time."

Hino looked at Fuyuumi, who gave a smile and said, "It's okay, Hino-chan. You can practice. I'm done eating, anyway."

"Thanks, Fuyuumi-chan. I promise I'll make it up to you," Hino replied.

--

The practice room was incredible. Fully soundproof, an awesome grand piano, a comfortable couch (only god knows why that's in there; nevertheless Hino still enjoyed it), tons of scores—all piled up in a big container according to composer, a CD player with a wide selection of CDs to choose form, and several music theory books. There was only one odd thing, though: all practice rooms didn't have windows. Hino guessed it was to keep the room soundproof.

"Okay, let's start by going through these scores," Tsukimori said, holding up a container and placing it on top of the piano.

"Did Ousaki-senpai say anything about a theme for the recitals?" Hino asked.

"I asked him that, but all he said was that the performance needs to be fit for an ending," Tsukimori said, rummaging through the container.

"Maybe a powerful piece would do," Hino suggested.

"Powerful… right," Tsukimori murmured, shoving his hand in the container. "Ahh. This piece would do," he said.

"What is it?"

"Debussy _Prelude a L'Apres-midi d'un faune_. I've never actually played it before, but I think we could pull it off," Tsukimori said, more of in a negative tone.

"Uhm, that's great, Tsukimori-kun," Hino said, trying to sound cheerful. How was she going to do good if his attitude was so pessimistic? "How'd you find out about that piece, anyway?" Hino added.

For a moment, Tsukimori stared at Hino. "Do you really have to know?" he asked, rather rudely.

Hino looked at him. His expression looked annoyed, and upon realizing what she'd said, Hino turned her gaze at the floor.

Tsukimori, on the other hand, was analyzing Hino's actions. She really looked like a poor, lost dog right now. Why is she so emotional? He wasn't any good at these emotional stuff, but for god's sake, does everybody have to get hurt at everything he says? Isn't there any other ice man in this world?

"My grandmother used to play it to me," Tsukimori finally said.

Hino looked up. "So… your grandmother played the violin…?"

"No. She plays a viola, an instrument similar to the violin, only bigger. And she still plays it."

"Wow, Tsukimori-kun. Your family really is musically-inclined."

"Yeah, well enough about that. We should arrange some stuff now," Tsukimori said, cutting the conversation short. "You could play the melody, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Oh. But—um, I appreciate the work you'll be doing in it, but maybe we should… maybe we should work together on the harmony and stuff. You know—so that Ousaki-senpai would know that we're doing our job," Hino said.

Tsukimori stared for a while. "Well that settles it."

"Huh?" Hino didn't get it.

"We'll do what you just said. Get your violin."

"Oh."

And so, they worked on it for hours. Hino sucked at it, but Tsukimori—he was great. The piece fit him so well that Hino thought that she was just being a big hindrance performing with him. He was simply good at it… probably because he was so familiar with the tune.

Nighttime was approaching and the violinists decided to call it a day.

"Well, I guess that was a good start," Hino said, while packing up her stuff.

"Yes." Tsukimori was on his way to the door. "Let's skip tomorrow for practice. We have the rest of the summer to work on this piece, anyway." And with that, he turned the doorknob—

"Uh-oh."

"What is it?" Hino asked, from behind the piano.

"It's jammed!" Tsukimori said, jostling the doorknob. "Ugh…"

Hino came over, and saw the problem. "Maybe we could call someone from outside. I have my ph—"

Oh no. It must be here somewhere, Hino thought, rummaging through her pockets, her bag, her violin case…

"I don't have my phone," Hino said, almost nervously.

"You don't? Great. I don't have mine too," Tsukimori said. "Arrrrg, I should've brought it!" He kicked the door.

Hino was surprised at this behavior. Sure, Tsukimori was cold, stoic, and insensitive—but she's never seen him that angry. He wasn't calm, yes, but he doesn't get like that.

"Tsukimori-kun…" Hino started. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"We're… doomed." Tsukimori said. They really were, because obviously, nobody would hear them even if they screamed. There weren't any windows. They didn't have other clothing with them. As for food—Hino had brought her food, but she finished it in no time. Yes, they really were doomed.

"I'm sorry, Tsukimori-kun," Hino said, trembling, looking down at the floor once again.

"What?" Tsukimori said, calming down a bit.

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"For having to be so annoying."

"Who said you were annoying?"

"Well, the look on your face says a lot of things."

"My face is the same towards everyone, Hino. That doesn't mean I'm mad at you. This isn't your fault."

"But—" Hino started to object.

"This isn't your fault." Tsukimori cut out.

Hino nodded dumbly, and returned speculating the floor.

"Well, we probably won't get out of here by tonight, so… what do you want to do now?" Tsukimori said.

"I don't know, Tsukimori-kun… Are you hungry?" Hino looked at him, and her mood sort of lifted.

"Well…" Tsukimori was hungry, but then… Who had food in this situation?

"I have food," Hino said, as if reading his thoughts.

"You do? How? I thought you finished your lunch already."

"I did!" Hino said, with a smile. "But I nicked some extra food from the Cafeteria on the way out. I mean, did you taste those pastries? They're amazing! You want some?" Hino offered, holding up a croissant.

"Uhmm… yeah. Sure."

Hino and Tsukimori ate in silence on the floor. Apparently, Hino had taken three croissants, one mini pie, and two lemon squares. Just enough food for the night, Tsukimori thought.

After cleaning up, they had nothing to do. It was probably 7:30, which is way too early to sleep. Speaking of sleeping…

"Tsukimori-kun, how are we going to sleep?" Hino asked.

Tsukimori looked up.

"I mean, where, exactly?" Hino said.

"There's a couch. You can sleep there. I'll just… take the floor, I guess…" Tsukimori answered plainly.

"The floor? No way Tsukimori-kun! You might get serious back pains! And we don't have any cushions, or blankets to keep you warm! And—and—" Hino said, outraged at the idea.

"I'll be fine, Hino."

"No you won't! You could get all these sicknesses; you won't be able to sleep well… Just sleep beside me!"

Tsukimori stopped what he was doing. He looked at Hino, surprised.

Uh-oh. That last part wasn't meant to come out that way, Hino thought. What's he going to say now?

"Pardon?" Tsukimori said.

"I mean—I mean— You can't just sleep on the floor without anything to make it more comfortable!" Hino stammered.

"Okay then. Let's just sleep sitting down on the couch. You can stay in one side, I'll stay at the other." Tsukimori said.

"Okay then."

--

It was nine thirty already. At least they could sleep already, even though it was the bed time of an eight year-old.

Hino sat with her legs folded under her lap on the left side of the couch, while Tsukimori was sitting properly on the right side.

"Goodnight, Tsukimori-kun!" Hino said, as she turned off the lights.

"'Night, Hino."

Tsukimori couldn't believe what was happening to him now. Never in his life had he actually thought he'd sleep with Hino… What would happen after this? Will they ever get out of here? Okay, okay, that's exaggerating a bit. Of course they'll get out of here. Well, if anybody would bother fixing that damned doorknob…

Tsukimori felt a thump on his shoulder. Hino's head was leaning on him, dozing off in her sleep. She looked beautiful sleeping, Tsukimori realized. Her hair feels so… soft.

"Goodnight, Hino." Tsukimori whispered.

--

A/N: Yaay! Another chappie done! I'm having a bit of a writer's block now, and I'm still cooking up something on what will happen next. R&R please! Go easy on me, it's my first time to write a fanfic! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Everyone in the room was quiet.

Well, there were only two people in the room.

That is, Kahoko Hino and Len Tsukimori.

_What are they going to do now?_ Tsukimori thought. They can't stay stuck in this room forever. _But… he can stay stuck with Kahoko forever._ _Wait, no! Stop thinking that! _Tsukimori snapped back into reality when Hino called out his name.

"Yes, Hino?" Tsukimori said, more of as a statement than as a question.

"What do you suppose we should be doing now?" Hino asked cheerfully, with a smile on her face.

"Practice?" Tsukimori said, trying to sound uninterested.

"I suppose so too, but if we're stuck in here forever, what else would we be doing?"

"Practice even more."

Hino scowled playfully and returned fixing the couch. Tsukimori, however, was sitting on the piano chair. He was looking down at the piano. It was really pretty, compared to other pianos he'd seen. And he _did_ know how to play a piece…

Suddenly music filled Kahoko's ears. She turned around. _"Tsukimori-kun…"_ He was playing the piano! It was a pleasant sound, and a pleasant song, and a handsome pianist. Wait, no, scratch that last part. He was a graceful pianist. He wasn't better than Tsuchiura, that's for sure, but it was a pretty performance.

When Tsukimori ended, Hino exclaimed, "That was beautiful! Where did you learn to play the piano, Tsukimori-kun? And what piece was that? Teach me, please!"

Tsukimori just sat there, surprised at Hino's reaction. Had he really played that good? Of course not… But, it did feel good that he sounded good in an instrument other than the violin. So he does know music pretty well, and not only from the violin! Tsukimori smiled. It was a good feeling.

"Tsukimori-kun? What's that funny look on your face?" Kahoko said, giggling.

"Huh? Oh," Tsukimori said, returning to his usual stoic behavior. "Sorry about that."

"What do you mean, sorry? That was amazing! Where'd you learn that piece?"

He hesitated telling Kahoko. But, if he continued acting like that the whole time, he'll just continue being dull and insensitive to Kahoko.

"My mom used to play it over and over again, when I was young—way before I learned how to play the violin. I just simply watched her, and… I guess that's how I learned." Tsukimori said.

"Well, that was a pretty tune… Could you teach it to me? I'd love to know how to play that piece… even at the piano!" Hino said.

Tsukimori thought for a while, then motioned for Kahoko to sit beside him in the piano chair. When she did, he said, "Okay, Hino. Do you memorize the order of keys in the piano?" Kahoko looked confused. "I guess not, then." Tsukimori concluded.

He got up, went behind the chair and placed his hands over Hino's, so his stomach was pressed against her back. He felt her stiffen, and said, "Relax. I'm not going to eat you." Hino's shoulders went up, but eventually relaxed.

"Okay. So the first note is a La," he directed Hino's fingers to the right piano key. "And the second is a Sol," he directed it again. "Got that?"

Hino nodded, then Tsukimori continued. They did the rest of the song in almost more than an hour, as Hino knew nothing about the piano. But Tsukimori tried to be patient, and after all, doing this was better than doing nothing.

When he was done teaching the whole song, and Tsukimori made Hino play it, she sucked. He couldn't help but laugh, until Hino stopped playing.

"Are you laughing at me, Tsukimori-kun?" she asked.

"N-n-ooo…" Tsukimori said, trying to hide his smie.

"Well then you should laugh at yourself, because you're a lousy teacher." Hino said, poking Tsukimori on the arm.

"Really now?" Tsukimori said, laughing. "Well, you suck! You don't learn fast, and you can't play the piano!"

"Oh yeah?" Hino said, then she got up, ran around the room, and Tsukimori, foolishly enough, forgot about his usual behavior around Hino, and started running after her. It was a funny sight, actually, seeing the two run around the room. How odd would that be?

Tsukimori caught up with her, well, because he _is_ a boy and he _is_ a fit guy. He grabbed her by the waist, and before they knew it, they were both on the floor, laughing, Tsukimori's arm around Hino's waist, Hino on top of him, her back against his tummy. (no, they weren't facing each other. D)

They were laughing, having a fun time, until both of them were lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"I've never seen you that happy, Tsukimori-kun!" Hino said.

"Well, that's the last time you'll ever see me do that again."

"You mean it's the last time you'll ever actually be a fun guy?"

"No."

"Well then what do you mean?" Hino asked happily.

"I meant… nevermind. Just pretend that this never happened," Tsukimori said.

Hino laughed. "That's silly."

"It isn't to me."

"Okay, Tsukimori-kun."

Then, something magical happened: The door opened.

"What the—" a voice said, and soon enough, Hino said, "Ousaki-senpai!"

"Oh. It's him. Thank god," Tsukimori said, getting up from the floor.

"What are you two doing on the floor?" Ousaki asked.

"Well, we'd also like to ask what took you forever to find us," Tsukimori said.

"What do you mean?"

"We got locked in this room since last night, Ousaki-senpai," Hino explained. "We had to sleep here over the night."

"What?! Why didn't you call anyone?"

"We didn't have any phone with us. We both forgot about it and left it behind," Hino said.

"You could always scream and bang the doors you know," Ousaki said.

"It's a soundproof room," Tsukimori said.

"Oh. Well then, I should write a note to your teachers whose classes you missed and… and, well, not let anyone use this practice room," Ousaki said, quite flatly. "Come on you two, let's get out of here."

So they got their stuff, headed outside the room, and for the first time in more than twelve hours, smelled fresh air.

--

A/N : Sorry for the late update guys! Please R&R!


End file.
